The present invention relates generally to a system for cooling and heating and, in particular, to an apparatus and method for both heating and cooling powered by a solar heat source.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,289, issued on Oct. 17, 1978 to Edward W. Bottum, shows a solar water heating system including a solar collector connected to a heat exchanger in a closed loop charged with refrigerant. The refrigerant is boiled in the collector and condensed in the heat exchanger to give off heat to water passing through the heat exchanger.
It is known that a heat pump system can be utilized to make ice. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,678, issued on Mar. 6, 1979 to Edward W. Bottum, shows a heat pump system having a compressor, evaporator and condenser connected together for the circulation of fluid refrigerant. The evaporator is a plate element that collects heat from the sun""s rays. During cooler periods or when there is no sunlight, water is sprayed on the underside of the evaporator plate. This water freezes and forms a layer of ice that can be removed and used. The formation of ice also generates heat that is available to the heat pump thereby increasing the efficiency of the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,419, issued on May 17, 1983 to Edward W. Bottum, shows a heating system employing a heat pump that is provided with heat by a second system employing refrigerant as a heat transfer medium. The refrigerant is boiled using heat energy from the ground or a body of water, for example.
The present invention concerns an apparatus for heating and cooling including a heat source for transferring incident heat energy to a liquid refrigerant material thereby changing the refrigerant material from the liquid state to a gaseous state. The heat source has an inlet for receiving the refrigerant material in the liquid state and an outlet for discharging the refrigerant material in the gaseous state.
A venturi reduces the pressure of the refrigerant material. A xe2x80x9cventurixe2x80x9d, as used herein, refers to a component having an inlet receiving higher-pressure gas and discharging it at a somewhat lower pressure through an outlet. It also has a second inlet capable of receiving gas at a considerably lower pressure (or vacuum) from an evaporator and discharging it through the same outlet. Such a device is sometimes called an xe2x80x9ceductorxe2x80x9d.
The venturi has a first inlet connected to the heat source outlet for receiving the gaseous refrigerant material and an outlet for discharging the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material. A condenser means removes heat energy from the refrigerant material, thereby changing the refrigerant material from the gaseous state to the liquid state. The condenser means has an inlet connected to the venturi outlet for receiving the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material and an outlet for discharging the refrigerant material in the liquid state. The condenser means outlet is connected to the heat source inlet to return the liquid refrigerant material to the heat source. A heat exchange means is associated with the condenser means for receiving the heat energy removed from the refrigerant material by the condenser means.
A cold chamber containing an atmosphere has an evaporator means mounted in it to transfer heat energy from the cold chamber atmosphere to the liquid refrigerant material thereby changing the refrigerant material from the liquid state to the gaseous state and cooling the cold chamber atmosphere. The evaporator means has an inlet connected to the condenser means outlet for receiving the liquid refrigerant material and an outlet connected to a second inlet of the venturi for discharging the gaseous refrigerant material to the venturi. A valve is connected to the evaporator means inlet and is responsive to a level of the liquid refrigerant material in the evaporator means to regulate a flow of the liquid refrigerant material into the evaporator means. As liquid refrigerant boils due to its reduced pressure, heat is absorbed.
The expansion means for the evaporator can be an expansion valve, a xe2x80x9clow side floatxe2x80x9d, or a capillary and a sight glass can be connected between the heat source and the venturi.
The invention also includes a method for simultaneously heating and cooling from a source of heat energy comprising the steps of: providing a source of liquid refrigerant material and transferring incident heat energy from a source of the heat energy to the liquid refrigerant material thereby changing a first portion of the refrigerant material from the liquid state to a gaseous state; reducing a pressure of the gaseous refrigerant material; removing the heat energy from the refrigerant material thereby condensing the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material to change the refrigerant material from the gaseous state to the liquid state; providing a heat exchange means for receiving the heat energy removed from the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material; evaporating a second portion of the liquid refrigerant material condensed from the reduced pressure gaseous refrigerant material by tansferring heat energy from an atmosphere to the second portion of the liquid refrigerant material thereby changing the refrigerant material from the liquid state to the gaseous state and cooling the atmosphere; and returning the first portion of the liquid refrigerant material to the source of the liquid refrigerant material whereby the incident heat energy simultaneously produces heat energy in the heat exchange means and cools the atmosphere.